Former Pot Smuggler Educates Seniors On Medical Marijuana

â€‹“They heard about it at their bridge games, or from the corkboard at the senior center, or through their grandkids who use the Internet,” writes Gus Garcia-Roberts at Miami New Times. “Then they carpooled to Temple Shaarei Shalom in Boynton Beach this recent Sunday afternoon—trios of little old ladies with short white hair and thin sweaters, and wizened men reading the Sun-SentinelÂ while wearing clunky black shades indoors.

“Now the 200-plus attendees—most of them seniors—are snacking on a mushroom quiche and iced tea while discussing the myriad health benefits of getting high.”

Robert Platshorn, 69—who in the 1970s smuggled tons of Colombian weed into the United States, making Santa Marta Gold a legend in the process—was one of the most famous pitchmen in the U.S. before becoming an herbal entrepreneur and eventually getting busted by the Drug Enforcement Adminnistration. He became the longest-serving marijuana offender in U.S. history, serving more than 29 years in federal prison.

Now, as leader ofÂ The Silver Tour, he’s educating seniors in the most elderly state in the nation on the medical and legal landscape surrounding medicinal cannabis.“The January 29th Silver Tour Show was a runaway success in every way but one,” Platshorn told Toke of the TownÂ Tuesday afternoon. “We had about 240 people in the audience. Most were curious strangers to medical marijuana and legalization. The show ran a bit longer than I had planned, but not one soul left or even got fidgety. They came as skeptics and left as supporters.”

To read Garcia-Roberts’ excellent article, visitÂ Miami New TimesÂ at the link below.

The two hour TV live stream (above), was hosted in 345 locations around the country and in half a dozen foreign countries, according to Platshorn. “This represents thousands of people who learned about medical marijuana for the first time,” he told us. “I have received ‘Thank You’ calls and emails from a dozen states, Israel, England and Australia.The video has had over a thousand downloads since airing.”“The Silver Tour is far and away the most cost effect way to educate voters about medical marijuana and legalization,” Platshorn said.To donate, visit www.thesilvertour.org.